When Belal Muhammad claimed he was going to stand up and fight on his feet against Jack Della Maddalena for his first title defense at UFC 315, it was chalked up to just talk. Many a grappler have made similar promises, but have shot for takedowns after the first jab connects on the money maker.
But Belal, eager to prove the allegations of ‘boring’ a poor reflection of his persona, walked the talk and together with Maddalena fought in a 25-minute strikefest that left both fighters bruised and battered.
He ultimately ended up having to drop his welterweight title over the course of five rounds to a unanimous judging loss to the Aussie challenger, but as far as fans are concerned, this loss was worth every bit of the ovation he received as he walked back with a torn lip, a busted rib and a fractured orbital to go with his broken nose.
Earning Fight of the Night honors for his display with title challenger, Della Maddalena, Chicago native, Muhammad also found himself set as an example for former light heavyweight champion Alex Pereira.
“If you had told me that in 2025, Belal Muhammad would put on a more exciting performance than Alex Pereira, I would’ve said you were on crack,” A user on Reddit posted.
Notably, Pereira, in his last fight, where he lost the 205 lbs title to Magomed Ankalaev, was outstruck by the Dagestani grappler, in a poor show of ambition and purpose inside the octagon.
“If you had told me that in 2025, Belal Muhammad would put on a more exciting performance than Alex Pereira, I would’ve said you were on crack.”
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Furthermore, avid combat sports fan, Theo Von, also lauded Muhammad following his UFC 315 headliner, posting, “Put some respeck (sic) on his name,” on his official X account.
Put some respeck on his name!@bullyb170 #ufc315
— Theo Von (@TheoVon) May 11, 2025
Another asked the MMA community to refrain from calling the Palestinian-American boring ever again and said, “I don’t wanna see anyone call Belal boring anymore, especially if they like Strickland”.
But despite his defeat, Muhammad remains in good spirits. And has vowed to regain the divisional belt.
Muhammad vows to take back welterweight crown
As he receives massive props for his performance en route to defeat to add to the multitude of stitches and medical care he needs, Belal is likely set for an extended spell on the sidelines.
However, when he does return, he has one plan in mind: regaining the welterweight strap.
“Allah’s plan is the best plan. Alhamdillah for everything,” he posted on his official X account. “Thank you to all my supporters, I’ve been here before and I’ll be back,” he promised.
However, he’s highly unlikely to feature in an immediate title rematch. Already, newly minted champion Della Maddalena has been heavily linked with a title defense against Islam Makhachev next.
Makhachev had been itching at the opportunity to move up to welterweight in search of a career-defining second title, and with Della Maddalena promising retribution for Alexander Volkanovski’s losses, this fight is next on the docket.
However, this is not to say Belal shouldn’t still be at the top of the welterweight division. Perhaps, when he returns to action, there is simply a different champion.
If it is Islam, however, the Palestinian-American might have to live up to his promise of moving up to middleweight to try his luck.
